Uncle Johnny’s Lasagne

My uncle Johnny came from a large Italian family in New York City. After World War II, he ended up in San Francisco, where he met and married my mother’s sister. I learned all my best Italian recipes from him, and this might be my favorite because it’s so easy … and, of course, delicious.

MEAT SAUCE
Heat a large skillet over medium flame and add the sausages, breaking them up as they cook until they’re crumbled. Add the pasta sauce, pesto, red wine, fennel seeds, pepper, and any additions you might like. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes or so to incorporate all the flavors.

PASTA
Bring a stock pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Turn off the heat and add each lasagne noodle to the water, crosswise to the last. Let sit for 15 minutes. At the 15-minute point, pour into a drainer, then set aside until needed.

CHEESE MIXTURE
In a large bowl, mix mozzarella (except for 1 cup), ricotta, Parmesan, and cream together. Grind some pepper over it all. Mix again. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 375.
In a 9″x13″ pan*, add enough meat sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay down three noodles, then a cup of meat sauce, followed by 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Repeat several times, finishing with covering the last layer with the reserved cup of mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil.

BAKE
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until bubbling around the edges. Remove foil and increase temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until the lasagne is golden brown and the edges are crispy. Let cool a bit before serving.

*NOTE: If you use a smaller pan that 9×13, your lasagne might bubble over in the oven. To avoid that, bake on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

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This is a recipe blog using mostly Mediterranean and Asian foods as inspiration. There are also plenty of low-carb, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. Here and there are classic recipes with higher fat, flour, or sugar for special occasions. For more info on my choices, see the About page, and for hard-to-find ingredients, try Amazon.com 🙂